Fooducate APP Review

Can you believe that we’re only a few weeks away from Thanksgiving? I honestly can’t believe that my favorite holiday is right around the corner. Not only do I love the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the dog show hosted by J. Peterman aka John O’Hurley, of Seinfeld fame but getting to spend another year with my wonderful family especially my grandmother who just turned 91. When it comes to menu ideas we’re always very careful about what we serve – my grandmother suffers from diabetes and dementia, my mom has high blood pressure and over the last few years I’ve developed migraines so I am especially careful about what I put into my body since they can trigger a painful attack. As someone who frequently reads health/fitness blogs, watches specials on television and has read practically every book on anything my grandmother suffers from, it can be hard to discern what ingredients should be consumed and which ones shouldn’t. One day they’re telling you that a certain sweetener is beneficial to your health and the next it causes cancer, autism, etc. leaving me upset and frustrated. Well, that was until last night…….

I can’t tell you when I downloaded the app Fooducate, I’m sure I probably read about it somewhere and truth be told I didn’t even know I had it on my phone. Last night while at the grocery store I got the hair-brained idea to use it and can honestly tell you I’m exceptionally glad I did. What you do is you grab your favorite product (or one you’d like to learn more about) scan the barcode with your smartphone and it gives the item a grade and tells you what harmful ingredients are in it or beneficial ones for that matter. I learned that the supposed gluten free chips I bought that I thought were good for me actually contain msg (a migraine trigger) and the whole wheat bread my mom buys is not as nutritious as Wonder bread’s whole grain white bread. When I got back from the store I was just as trigger happy as I was in my local grocery store and started going through my pantry (can you say addicted?!). The only thing I found that received an A was Cheerios. You may remember when I interviewed Dr. Travis Stork of “The Doctors” last month he mentioned how great Cheerios are for lowering cholesterol and heart disease which is absolutely fantastic. Not only did the margarine in my fridge get a failing grade but it was listed as one of the worst products you can buy. While it was painful to hear that the slice of chocolate cream pie I wanted to consume is named as a “heart attack waiting to happen” I’m incredibly grateful to know that I’m making smart choices and that even though a product says 0 trans fats, there still might be traces of it in the item.

Fooducate is available for the iPhone and Android smartphones – Fooducate.com

My only complaint is that there are some products in the grocery store that can’t be traced such as a few grocery store brands, limited edition items, etc. but I am totally fine with that. With that being said and since Fooducate has been grading me on every little item I’ve bought as of late (and will continue to do so) I have to give it an A. I’ve not only learned which products I should stay away from, I’m learning what’s good for my body and what isn’t. They don’t just list what ingredients are healthy/unhealthy, they give you a step by step explanation, product alternatives and a chance to compare items. Oh and have I mentioned the app is free? Can’t beat that!

*I was not paid for this review nor was I given the Fooducate app. This is a non-biased review by yours truly, Candace Rose.